Tomac was great he saw the vision I wanted for my tattoo and although I know it wasn't easy he was able to make it come true. He was awesome and stayed super late to get it done since I drove an hour to get there. Thanks so much for the great experience. Read Less

What was supposed to be a unknowns walk in turned out to be a great experience! First, i had my tattoo idea already but it needed a couple tweaks. I was planning to walk in but being it was after work and i was tired, I called to see how busy they were. This place was recommended by a friend but she had not personally been there so I was kind of taking a chance. When I called, i was told to come on in in an hour and to email my ideas. So that's what I did. I arrived at agreed time and was greeted by Tomac who was warm and welcoming. A friend decided to join me for company and after some conversation we all had mutual friends. Tomac was professional and worked in collaboration with me to make sure I was completely happy with my tattoo idea. The shop was clean even though he was in the process of decorating for the holidays. Tomac's work space was clean and opened new tools and needles in front of me. In addition, he was inviting even when more friends decided to show up and provided them places to sit. He nailed my tattoo idea and I love it!!! His lines are clean and the lettering I wanted was done just right!  One of my friends was so happy with mine she made an appointment to clean up one of her tattoos for the following evening. Everything about my experience was professional and more than i could have expected especially being a walk in. I will definitely be using Tomac and Mission tattoo for my tattoos in the future! So stoked to have found this p Read Less

Contacted Tomac for a tattoo last December and connected in person in January for my last and without question most personal tattoo. Tomac spent a lot of time in discussion with me and drawing something up. When I saw it and asked for something different and showed him another idea along the lines of what I was thinking he obliged and made more time for me the next day. The next day when I arrived I was not disappointed in his second rendition, it was exactly what I was looking for. Not only was the entire process professional but they are EXTREMELY focused on hygiene for everyone's safety. A lot of time is spent on prepping you as well as the area prior to even starting. Tomac spent hours on my tattoo, slowly, methodically inking me and did an excellent job. Six months later I asked for some touch up work and he obliged, making time in his very busy schedule for me. Again, the professionalism is what I keep coming back to because if you want quality work done you need to work with quality people and Tomac is exactly that. I can't thank him enough. Read Less

Simple ear piercing. Everything went very smooth, I felt very comfortable with how clean things were and he answered all of my questions in a lot of detail. Only a tiny bit of discomfort during the piercing. Would absolutely send friends here in the future! (And the music was excellent) Read Less

Tomac is an awesome guy and a very talented artist. His attention to detail and cleanliness is above and beyond anything I have seen before. He was patient and really took his time with our group making sure we were all 100% happy. Tomac is the perfect balance of professionalism and friendliness. We will definitely be back! Read Less

As any tattoo shop I look for chill artist and a great area, I am part of the MCRD Roller Derby league and they sponser them, so I thought I would check it out, I met the owner Tomac he is very chill and down to earth, he's a great artist as well As Jimmy B, I walked in a he was happy to do a walk in, they sanitize all their equipment so it's nice and clean in there, I got to watch people not be able to drive down mission which is always fun. All and all I enjoyed my experience there, only down side is that you gotta find parking on the street but I didn't have any trouble finding parking. So if you're looking to get ink done or piercings done they do it there as well! Highly recommend this place! Read Less

Unfortunately did not have a great experience like the other people here. A tattoo that I thought was simple enough (just lines) got botched up by Cruz. Wanted to give this place another shot so went back to speak with Tomac, and he seemed hype about fixing it. But he suddenly stopped responding to my emails and my phone calls after he asked that I send him material to start brainstorming (unprofessional if you ask me). So I simply took my business elsewhere (Energy tattoo) and finally got the tattoo fixed and I'm so happy with it! Read Less

I've been going to Tomac since he was starting out at Iron Cross.  His attention to detail, standard of a clean sanitary environment and great music have always made it a pleasure to return and get more work done. He can truly bring your idea or vision to life or refine an existing piece of work. Read Less

I've gotten 2 tattoos from Tomac and he's redone another one of my tattoos that seemed completely damaged from a previous tattooer. Thanks to Tomac and Mission Tattoo for being so clean and detailed with their work. There's a difference between someone with a tattoo gun and an ACTUAL artist... and Tomac is an ARTIST. He knows exactly what he's doing and he isn't going to do something he knows you might regret later. I 100% recommend Tomac to everyone and I continue to do so. 5 stars!!! Read Less

I emailed said if they did Walk ins and they responded said yes they do so I went in they said they were short staffed which I understood and for me to leave my name and number and they will call me to set an appointment never called so I emailed again saying I wanted to get a tattoo done the person responded back apologized that whoever I spoke to didn't get back to me and said that he will call and set an appointment with me on Thursday and yet again never called or responded back to me. I found that extremely ruined and unprofessional. I would not recommend this place if you want a great tattoo place slanging ink is the place to go really great place Read Less

Horrible customer service! I walked in to make an apt with Tomac, he wasn't there so I left a message for him to call me...never got a call. I emailed him and he responded and we were working on a time I could come in but then he just stopped responding all together. I gave him a few days and sent another email but after 2 weeks he just completely left me hanging and dropped the ball. I am a local and will never go back or recommend this place to anyone. Read Less

Best place to get a tattoo in SB / 805 ! Tomac , the owner is super friendly and knowledgable as is Jimmy and Carlos.If you love 'colors' Tomac is your guy ! Very clean shop. Cool downstairs garden and a nice porch/overlook to relax in between sessions. Good vibes Read Less

Came for my 18th birthday, was set up by Tomac and tattooed by Carlos. Great experience, super accommodating and kind the whole way through. Carlos did a fantastic job and was very talkative and friendly while doing the piece (which helped with the nerves/pain!). Clean shop, reasonable prices, welcoming staff. Read Less

I'm so glad I got my very first tattoo with Tomac. Throughout the process he was able to answer any of my questions and ease my nerves. He showed me alterations of my design and was really reassuring with keeping my initial image as is. I am so happy with how it turned out and highly recommend his professionalism and down to earth personality. Thanks Tomac! Read Less

Carlos is so friendly and did such an incredible job on my tattoo. Support your local artists and I guarantee you will not regret coming here for your next piece! They also have piercing services and they sell artwork. Read Less

I just had my first session with Jimmy Bell and I am so super stoked. He is an amazing artist, professional and overall dude. I gave him some samples of the kind of stuff o wanted in my sleeve and just let him work his magic. He drew up some amazing outlines and we went straight to work a week or so later. In 3 hours we were able to do most of the outlines and even shade in some of my upper arm. The view from any window in the shop is amazing and relaxing. It really is like getting a tattoo and a vacation at the same time. The shop is impeccably clean and Jimmy listens to mellow hip hop which I like. No weird smells or screaming music! Really like the vibe and artistry. Love Leo the lion on my upper arm. Friggin awesome! Read Less

Went to Mission Tattoo to get my first tattoo and got it done by Jimmy. I'm so glad I did because Jimmy was honestly the most comforting, friendly, experienced guy!  He made sure I got exactly what I wanted and I definitely did.  I highly reccomend Mission Tattoo for anyone who may be nervous about getting their first tat, or for anyone getting another one! Read Less

After researching a bunch of tattoo artists, I came across Jimmy based on the stellar reviews he's received. First impression was he is very approachable and passionate about his work. I had an idea of what I wanted but wasn't able to elaborate much - mostly I said "can you make it pretty". I could tell the wheels were turning and he came up with something that was perfect for me. It was like he understood what I needed. The whole process was extremely professional and the shop is very clean. Great communication all the way through and the price was reasonable. I cannot believe I now have a beautiful piece of art on me! Jimmy is truly an artist! Read Less

My goal was to find a great tattoo artist who worked with colors.  Many artists specialize in black and grey tones, some specialize in portraits, and others realism.  You get my point.  But I wanted someone who works flawlessly with colors and I searched practically all of Southern California.Finally I found him:  Jimmy Bell.I've now spent more then 10 hours under Jimmy's needle so I feel that I'm qualified to review him, and Mission Tattoo, here on Yelp.  First of all, Mission Tattoo is clean and very cool.  It's a relaxing place with a great sound system and a view of Santa Barbara that relaxes the eyes as you gaze out the window while getting inked.  The chairs are comfortable, and the guys are very friendly and professional.I won't allow anyone else to tattoo me but Jimmy.  You'll find him to be friendly, honest, direct, and confident.  If you take your dream tattoo to him, he makes it happen with clean lines, and beautiful colors that he melds together so naturally and (seemingly) with ease.  Masters of their craft often do make it look easy, and Jimmy is a master tattoo artist.  But if you bring him bunk ideas or something that just won't fly, he'll let you know - just like he did with me and I'll always appreciate that.Mission Tattoo is legit, don't hesitate to call them if you've got ink in mind! Read Less

Great experience at Mission tattoo. Very comfortable relaxed environment with artists that that love what they do.  Jimmy Bellart exceeded my expectations with both tattoos I have received by him. Extremely professional every step of the way. Will definitely be going back to him for my next one without a doubt. Read Less

Best tattoo shop in town. Great location, relaxing environment, fair prices. Tomac is one of the most professional and intricate tattoo shop managers and artists I've ever met. Not to mention, the work he does is insanely good. I'd recommend this shop to everyone in sb county and will continue to get my work done here for years on. Read Less

Called to see about getting my ears pierced. Just simple piercing, nothing crazy. Was told they could do it and that they had time. I'm in town visiting and wanted to get it done before heading home. Drove out to this tattoo shop and listened to one guy ask another if he had time (this should have been confirmed already since I asked on the phone and was told yes.) The piercer said no, so the other guy came to me and said I should go to him myself.....so I did and I was told the same thing. No time, but if I wanted a tattoo they could maybe squeeze me in somewhere. Such a waste of time. Read Less

I came to Mission a little over two years ago to get my first tattoo. I pitched my idea to a gentleman named Allan (who since moved to another city), and he said what I wanted was more "Jimmy's style." I glanced through Jimmy's portfolio and decided to give him a shot. I provided Jimmy with a short description of what I wanted, a couple references, a small deposit, and went home. I came back a week later and he showed me what he came up with. I was blown away; what he created was close to what I imagined but a whole lot better somehow. He extrapolated from the little information I gave him and created something beautiful. That day we decided on placement, size, and a date to get the work done. Now, understand that this was not a quick process. I'm pretty goddamn particular. Jimmy and I will spend half an hour to an hour chatting before each session we're about to go forth with: we discuss color schemes, placement, little alterations we can make here and there, etc. Jimmy was and always is completely understanding and enthusiastic when it comes to working with me. Ultimately, the tattoo came out beautifully, and as a result I decided kept coming back. Over the course of the next two years, I added more and more until I had a half-sleeve.About a year ago I also started a somewhat large piece on my ribs with Jimmy. The steps in the planning process were the same, although I was ridiculously particular with this one. After spending a while planning with Jimmy at the shop, I went home and sent him a three-paragraph-long description of the soon-to-be tattoo a myriad of reference photos via email. Once again, Jimmy took my idea and illustrated it originally and brilliantly. We set up an appointment and completed the rib tattoo over the course of the next year or so. After a four or so sessions of me bitching out at the 2-3 hour mark, I had a beautifully unique piece.Working with Jimmy is a wonderful experience and it can be pretty exciting as A). Jimmy's an educator and B). Jimmy visualizes other peoples' imaginings well and C). Jimmy provides unique, bold suggestions that can make a tattoo really pop (which he'll never pressure you into accepting but nonetheless tosses out there). For example, look at the attached picture I provided of my arm (labeled No-Face 1, 2, 3, and 4). Notice the red highlights throughout the waves? That was Jimmy's idea. I never thought of adding red to a predominantly blue/ocean graphic, yet those highlights are exactly what everybody compliments when they see the tattoo. Furthermore, see the starry sky above the woman's head? That's all Jimmy's imagining. I simply told him that "I love stars and shades of red and purple." Jimmy came up with the placement, shape, and the actual graphic of that background portion.Jimmy does fantastic work, he's great to work with, and he's honest. If it's not apparent, I highly recommend him. Read Less

My artist is Jimmy and I've been getting work from him for about four years now. Best experience I've ever had with a tattoo artist! He's patient, kind, informative, and very talented. It's always a lot of fun when I'm there. I get compliments on a daily basis about his work and I never hesitate to reference him. All around great dude and great shop. I will be finishing my sleeve with him soon and I can't wait. Definitely recommend. Read Less

I first visited Mission Tattoo in July 2014. I got my first tattoo on my chest done by Jimmy Bell (check out his Instagram for his work. It's "jimmybellart", I believe). I remember I gave Jimmy this silhouette picture I wanted tattooed on my chest and he took a look at it and told me "Let me draw something up for you and tell me what you think". I ended up getting his drawing tattooed on me and I am forever grateful he stopped me from tattooing that silhouette on me.Jimmy is a true tattoo artist, emphasis on artist. He draws every thing himself; he was a painter before he started tattooing and I've noticed that these two skill sets have been meshing and evolving throughout my time getting to know him. I love that he uses my body as a canvas; all of my pieces were done by him and everything meshes together beautifully. There's a really nice flow to his work and I love that his tattoos don't look like stickers on me.Jimmy really cares about the tattoo and isn't going to tattoo something on you just because he's getting paid to do so. For example, I wanted some text done on my ribs and he told me to change the font because he was worried that the tattoo was going to be all mushed up in a couple years. We ended up changing it and I am happier with the change since it is much more legible now. Finally, a couple of my favorite things about Jimmy is that he's a family man and he's super professional. Communicating with him is effortless and it's never intimidating. I have gotten my entire chest, a half/quarter sleeve (3/8 sleeve? lol), and my ribs (more than 20 hours of work) done by him (with more on the way) and he has exceeded expectations every time. Jimmy's rate is very fair considering the quality of his work and the fact that tattoos are permanent. There's a short web-documentary on him coming out soon so that might be worth checking out if you're interested. Read Less

New in the area and without a lot of word-of-mouth knowledge, I relied on web reviews to choose a shop for my second tattoo--pretty nerve-wracking, but Mission Tattoo definitely deserves the solid ratings. Danny was great, and worked with a couple images I brought in to come up with an original hybrid design--just what I was looking for. Very clean, professional, and great "bedside manner." (I'm an awkward person. Spending an hour and a half with a stranger driving a needle into me isn't automatically an easy experience--Danny's chill-ness was much appreciated.) Also gave great advice on after-care. Though Danny offered to do any necessary touch-ups for free, the original work was so good no touch-ups were necessary. I'm getting ready for my next tattoo and will definitely be returning.As a side-note, though I'd rather pay top dollar for a great tattoo than a budget price for inferior art, the prices here were really not as bad as what I was expecting in Santa Barbara, and Danny was happy to give me a quote and work with my price range.Overall, excellent experience. Read Less

Chelsea is an amazing artist.  My friend and I stooped by this shop late on a Saturday night and she hooked us up with matching tattoos. She gave us great advice and we couldn't be happier with the final product.  I highly recommend her if your looking for quality work!Thanks Chelsea! Read Less

My girlfriend always gets her tats her so I decided to get mine her for the first time. My artist was Jimmy, cool guy, very informative, very professional and down to earth. I personally will be getting more tats here and will reccomend this place to anyone. Read Less

My girlfriend and I decided to get smallsimple tattoos and were very pleased with the reception we received being walk-ins. Danny is a very skilled artist. The tattoo we received didn't make use of his talent but we would definitely be back again for more work. Fast, clean, friendly, and talented! Read Less

I was passing through Santa Barbara and wanted to get my nose pierced.  Found this place on yelp and decided to give it a try. I was very pleased with the service and professionalism portrayed. Tomac explained the procedures in a very courteous and professional manner. I am very pleased. Thank you! Read Less